


Not With a Bang

by QueenofStarChildren



Category: Teen Titans (Animated Series)
Genre: Angst, Grief, Guilt, How Superheroes Deal With Losses, So much trauma, StarfireXCyborg if you squint, Superheroes Are People Too, but they’re really just friends, whump?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-09
Updated: 2020-12-09
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:07:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 637
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27972098
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenofStarChildren/pseuds/QueenofStarChildren
Summary: The Titans can’t save everyone; this is how they deal with it.
Relationships: Starfire and Cyborg
Kudos: 7





	Not With a Bang

**Author's Note:**

> Oh my, what a year it’s been...

The car ride is dead quiet. Starfire looks to her immediate left, at Beastboy. He is pulled into himself, knees pressed against each other, trying to keep the space they take up as small as possible. His sooty hands clutch his pants. She can see the tendons in them rippling, fighting to remain human. A tear falls into his lap, but he does not make a sound. 

  
Starfire averts her gaze and settles on Raven next. She can only see her reflection in the window she is seated next to. She is composed, steely expression staring out of the car and laser focused on something Starfire cannot see.

Robin is the same, though she knows Robin more personally and catches the tiniest jump of muscles in his jaw from where she is seated behind him. Unlike Raven, she sees the dance of emotion in his eyes through his reflection. Ones of anger, loathing, regret. She knows who these feelings are directed towards.

She can only see Cyborg’s eyes, wide in the rear view mirror. He is normally good at checking periodically behind them, but tonight makes no other attempts than to stare straight to the road ahead. His hands are shaking at the wheel.

Starfire can’t will herself to feel much of anything — only powerless. Can’t get herself to think or process anything. Surely the sights of this nightmare will haunt them all for tonight. Yes, plenty of sleepless time later to remember and reflect. Just not right now...not so soon after.

Robin shoves his door open and bolts the moment Cyborg puts the car into park. No words uttered, Star knows he has probably gone to be alone. Raven shuffles out quietly, followed by Beastboy. Cyborg and herself lag behind.

Once inside, the four heroes return to a barely touched feast. Plates scatter the table, pots with dishes gone cold on the stove, various condiments splattered on the floor. Could it really have been just this evening they were sitting down for dinner?

Though no one had eaten much of anything in hours, this meal would go unfinished. Raven headed straight to her room, with Beastboy trailing behind her to his. Starfire half expected Cyborg to join them, but he only shuffled to the table instead. He began picking up plates and dumping their contents into the trash can. Star walked over and started gathering utensils. Only the clinking of dishware sounding between them.

When they were done with the table, Cyborg let one side of the sink fill with soap and water. They both stared down at the growing mound of bubbles.

Star took up residence at the other side of the sink and set a towel down. Then they started washing dishes—Cyborg scrubbing a fork, handing it off to Starfire, and her rinsing and putting it down to dry. Wash, rinse, put aside. Wash, rinse, put aside. It was automatic and blessedly mind numbing. Until Cyborg paused in their routine.

Star looked at his shaking hands holding a plate with a smudge of cranberry sauce on his finger. Her brow furrowed. She placed her hand over his.

Still trembling.

She gently took the plate from him, grabbed another towel, and wiped the sauce away. “Cyborg,” she said and broke the spell.

He fell, as much as she pulled him, into a tight embrace. He broke down, she cried. How could this be so terrible? The world so cruel? 

“It is alright. None of us are to blame about what transpired tonight.” She spoke thickly. His giant shoulders bouncing with each wail. She rubbed up and down on the human part of his neck, hoping it provided some comfort. 

_None of them deserve this guilt_. Starfire thought as she stared blurry-eyed at a baby decoration hanging on the lighted tree over Cyborg's shoulder.


End file.
